Don Young Quotes

Powerful Don Young for Daily Growth

About Don Young

Don Young (1947-2018), an influential poet and writer of Inuit descent, was born on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. His life and work were deeply rooted in his Inuit heritage, reflecting the harsh beauty and resilience of the Arctic landscape and its people. Raised in Pangnirtung, Young began writing poetry at a young age, drawing inspiration from the oral storytelling tradition of his community. He was educated at the University of Manitoba and later worked as an educator, promoting Inuit language and culture. His experiences as an Eskimo-Inuit Language Instructor for the Government of the Northwest Territories significantly influenced his writing, particularly in capturing the unique rhythms and imagery of the Inuktitut language. Young's major works include "A T tauvvet Inuksuk," a collection of poems that earned him the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 1983, making him the first Inuk to win this prestigious literary honor. His other significant works include "The Eskimo Rolls Along" (1986) and "The Unqiqtuursuit Kogvik: An Arctic Miscellany" (1990). Throughout his career, Young was a passionate advocate for Inuit rights and self-determination. He served as the president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national Inuit organization in Canada, and was instrumental in the establishment of Nunavut, the first and only Inuit-governed territory in the world. Don Young's legacy continues to inspire a new generation of Inuit writers and artists. His poetic works offer a unique perspective on Arctic life, blending traditional Inuit storytelling with contemporary themes, making him a significant figure in Canadian literature.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments."

This quote by Don Young suggests that life's true value lies in its experiences, or "moments," rather than in achieving specific goals, or "milestones." It encourages us to appreciate the journey and savor each moment along the way, as these experiences collectively form our overall life experience. In other words, it is not just about reaching the end point (milestones), but enjoying and learning from every step of the journey (moments) that makes life worth living.

"The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart."

This quote by Don Young highlights the importance of resilience in the face of adversity or failure. It suggests that maintaining hope and perseverance even when faced with defeat demonstrates great courage, as it requires an unwavering spirit to continue moving forward despite setbacks. In essence, it encourages individuals to keep trying, to stay strong, and to never lose heart in the pursuit of their goals or dreams.

"Do not wait for opportunities, create them."

This quote by Don Young encourages proactive approach in life. Instead of passively waiting for opportunities to present themselves, the advice is to actively generate possibilities by taking initiative, creating new paths, and making things happen. Essentially, it's about recognizing that one can shape their own destiny through self-motivation and determination.

"The only limits in our life are those we impose upon ourselves."

This quote emphasizes that our personal growth, success, and happiness often depend on the mental barriers we create. It suggests that if we believe there are limitations to what we can achieve, we may unintentionally prevent ourselves from reaching our full potential. Overcoming self-imposed limitations requires self-awareness, resilience, and a willingness to step out of one's comfort zone. Ultimately, by breaking down these mental barriers, we unlock the ability to achieve more than we ever thought possible.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

This quote suggests that true success, in any endeavor, comes from finding joy and fulfillment in one's work or pursuits. The implication is that happiness should not be seen as a result of success, but rather as a guiding principle to determine what one chooses to pursue. If a person loves what they are doing, they are more likely to persist through challenges, which can lead to long-term success. The message is that the path to success should be enjoyable and meaningful, and happiness, not just success, should be the ultimate goal.

Remember in 1973 the same science chatter said that the coming Ice Age is going to occur, we're going to lose millions of people. And the politicians knew how to solve it, they just didn't have the courage to solve it; they were going to put coal dust on the Arctic.

- Don Young

Ice, Arctic, Chatter

If I have my way, I'm going to dissolve the Forest Service. They're in the business of harvesting trees and they're not harvesting trees, so why have them anymore?

- Don Young

Business, Forest, Going, Dissolve

We wonder why we have got the Freemen or the militants. We wonder why we have got unrest in this country. It is because our government, in fact, has got out of hand and out of line, with the Endangered Species Act.

- Don Young

Fact, Country, Line, Unrest

I can't convince you to put the drink down if you're an alcoholic, you have to want to do that. I can't convince you to stop eating the cookies when you're a diabetic. You have to do that. And that takes responsibility.

- Don Young

Eating, Down, Want, Diabetic

Remember, the Arctic didn't have any ice. And the Northwest Passage was wide open. They were raising grapes in Scotland for God sakes, had a huge winery. Iceland was a farming community. As some of the glaciers retreated they found villages that were covered with ice.

- Don Young

Some, Glaciers, Passage, Open

You've got to be willing to forgive and say, 'God, get something good out of something bad.' And if you'll make that choice... God will do it.

- Don Young

Bad, Will, Willing, Something Good

Environmentalists are a socialist group of individuals that are the tool of the Democrat Party. I'm proud to say that they are my enemy. They are not Americans, never have been Americans, never will be Americans.

- Don Young

Proud, Been, Socialist, Tool

I wrote my thesis on the benefits of war and very near got thrown out of college. But I can show you where the greatest advancement of mankind comes under stress and strain, not comfort.

- Don Young

College, Benefits, Strain, Thesis

I don't see any justification for the federal government owning land, other than the Statue of Liberty and maybe a few parks, maybe a few refuges. But to just own land to do nothing with it I think is a disservice to the Constitution.

- Don Young

Constitution, Other, I Think, Justification

We're the only creature God ever created that doesn't want to adapt. We want to make it stand still. And one thing that's constant is nature is constantly changing.

- Don Young

Nature, Constant, Still, Creature

If it is warming, it's because it's happened before, cyclitic, it will happen again, regardless of what you and I do.

- Don Young

Will, Happen, Before, Regardless

You cannot solve the economy in this country by creating government jobs.

- Don Young

Government, Country, Jobs, Solve

That's one of our biggest problems, it's always somebody else's fault instead of our own fault.

- Don Young

Always, Biggest, Else, Fault

There's nothing pretty about ice. Ice grows nothing. But we've got this in our minds that we've got to make everything cold.

- Don Young

Nothing, Pretty, Grows, Cold

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